Coconino News

NAU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Mike Marlow has been granted a five-year contract extension, as approved by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR). The recommendation came from NAU President José Luis Cruz Rivera, who praised Marlow's leadership since his arrival in 2018. Marlow's contract will now extend through April 2028.

"Mike Marlow and his team have led our athletics program to prominence at the national, state, conference and community level over the past five years," stated President Cruz Rivera. He highlighted Marlow's role in securing back-to-back Big Sky Presidents' Cup awards for NAU, which recognize excellence in both academics and athletics. "I am proud to have Mike on our team and look forward to working together for the next five years."

Under Marlow's tenure since January 2018, NAU has achieved significant success across various domains including academics, athletics, facility enhancements, fundraising, and recruitment. His efforts were acknowledged with the Cushman & Wakefield Athletics Director of the Year award by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics for 2020-2021.

Marlow's leadership has seen notable athletic achievements such as four men's cross country NCAA Division I national championships and 46 conference championships across all sports programs. The program also secured the Big Sky Conference Men's and Women's All-Sports Trophies. Academically, NAU student-athletes reached their highest cumulative GPA in history.

Expressing gratitude towards President Cruz Rivera and ABOR’s support, Marlow said: "The opportunity to continue to work with Lumberjack coaches, staff, former athletes, alumni and donors to build an even stronger championship caliber foundation for current and future student-athletes is something I will steadfastly embrace."

NAU coaches have lauded Marlow’s supportive leadership style. National Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year Mike Smith remarked on Marlow's impact: "Mike's enthusiastic and visionary approach has unified NAU Athletics."

During his tenure at NAU, Marlow spearheaded over $50 million in athletic facilities enhancements including a $3 million video board cluster at Walkup Skydome among other projects. Memberships in Skyjack more than doubled over five years with contributions rising significantly from $1 million in 2019 to over $3 million by 2022.

Before joining NAU, Marlow served as deputy director of athletics at Washington State University following positions at University of Oregon and University of Idaho. He began his career at University of Montana after graduating from Washington State University in 1990.